In recent columns in this space I've been looking at the maturing of China's travel product, including the country's hotels and tour products. Just as the glittering glass and brass of China's first generation of international hotels has given way to more nuanced properties, so has a new generation of destinations emerged beyond the original iconic cities on the country's east coast.
China has now been open for almost 40 years, so experienced American travelers have learned to look beyond the Great Wall to a broad diversity of climates, cultures, ethnic groups and activities. Guizhou, for example, is the latest Chinese province that wants to make its case with the American traveler. Located in China's rugged southwest, Guizhou is not among the first provinces that come to mind when you think about the People's Republic (PRC). But in 1934 and 1935 it was at the epicenter of Chinese history when it was the scene of some of the most important moments in the Long March.
The place of the Long March in the hearts of China's citizens is comparable to the place the Exodus holds in Judaism. Today, the achievement seems almost as miraculous. The Red Army essentially trekked 8,000 miles to create modern China. It was in Guizhou, that Mao Ze Dung emerged as the leader of China's revolution along with such other leaders as Cho En-Lai and Deng Xiaoping. Years before Mao declared the foundation of the PRC in Beijing's Tiananmen Square in 1949, Guizhou became the PRC's first province.
It still makes your head spin when you contemplate the changes the PRC has undergone since then. Guizhou clearly wants to join in those changes, especially the soft revolution that tourism has wrought throughout China. Until recently the charm of Guizhou was one of China's best-kept secrets because tourists have been daunted by its remote location and its rugged terrain. Today, adventure travelers regard those obstacles as attractions and China's new high-speed rail network has made it much easier to access the province. Links are being created from Shanghai, Cheng-du and Xiamen to Guizhou's capital, Guiyang.
On Sept. 7, a delegation led by Wang Fu Yu, the deputy party secretary of Guizhou, promoted the virtues of the province at a private dinner at the New York Academy of Science. Even working with a translator, Wang showed himself to be a seasoned orator, describing Guizhou with passion as "an undiscovered pearl." The terrain of Southwestern China is characterized by mountains and canyons that are shot through with swiftly moving rivers. "We have 1,360 rivers, 800 gorges and canyons," Wang said. "About 92 percent of our land is mountainous."
The scenic beauty created by these conditions is highlighted by such attractions as Huangguoshu Waterfalls, the Golden Brocade Cave, Red Maple Lake, the Maling River Valley and the Shizhang Cave on the Chishui River, the Fanjing Mountain Botanic Garden, the Maolan Karst Primeval Forest, the Chishui Primeval Forest and the bird reserve at Caohai. In fact, there are 130 different nature preserves that take up about 6 percent of the province's total area.
But Guizhou's landscape is only part of its appeal. The cultural richness of China's 56 different ethnic minorities has been one of the country's best tools for attracting people to return to China on repeat trips after they've already taken the popular Golden Route of Beijing, Xian, Guilin, Shanghai, Hong Kong and the Yangtze Cruise. Guizhou's cultural tapestry is richly woven. "Minority peoples represent 40 percent of our population," said Wang. "Visitors can experience these cultures in some 18,000 different villages."
If Guizhou can establish one of its attractions as an icon, it could find itself as a participant in multi-province tours of the southwest. Sichuan lies to the north, Yunnan to the west, Guangxi to the south and Hunan to the east. Guizhou covers an area of about 67,958 square miles with a total population of more than 35,245,000.
The years 2011 to 2015 will mark the 12th Five Year Plan cycle for Guizhou and Wang says tourism will be a major part of it. "Last year, we earned CNY80 billion ($11.8 billion) and this year we're looking at CNY 100 billion ($14.7 billion), about 10 percent of it coming from foreign tourists," he said. "We are investing and within three years, we'll have about 20 five-star hotels in the Guiyang." If you are looking for more information on Guizhou and its attractions, visit www.gzgov.gov.cn/enggov/.
James Ruggia is executive editor covering Pacific Asia and Europe for TravelPulse.com
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